10 bentley3

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Chapter 10

Mediterranean Society: The Greek Phase


Early Development of Greek Society Minoan Society

Island of Crete Major city: Knossos

C. 2200 BCE center of maritime trade Undeciphered syllabic alphabet (Linear A)


Decline of Minoan Society

Series of natural disasters after 1700 BCE Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tidal waves

Foreign invasions Foreign domination by 1100 BCE


Mycenaean Society

Indo-european invaders descend through Balkans into Peloponnesus, c. 2200 BCE

Influenced by Minoan culture Major settlement: Mycenae Military expansion throughout region


Chaos in the Eastern Mediterranean Trojan war, c. 1200 BCE

Homer’s The Iliad Sequel: The Odyssey

Political turmoil, chaos from 1100 to 800 BCE Mycenaean civilization disappears


The Polis

City-state Urban center, dominating surrounding rural

areas Highly independent character

Monarchies “Tyrannies”, not necessarily oppressive Early Democracies


Sparta

Highly militarized society Subjugated peoples: helots

Serfs, tied to land Outnumbered Spartans 10:1 by 6th c. BCE

Military society developed to control threat of rebellion


Spartan Society

Austerity the norm Boys removed from families at age seven

Received military training in barracks Active military service follows

Marriage, but no home life until age 30 Some relaxation of discipline by 4th c. CE


Athens

Development of early democracy Free, adult males only Women, slaves excluded

Yet contrast Athenian style of government with Spartan militarism


Athenian Society

Maritime trade brings increasing prosperity beginning 7th c. BCE

Aristocrats dominate smaller landholders Increasing socio-economic tensions

Class conflict


Solon and Athenian Democracy Aristocrat Solon mediates crisis

Aristocrats to keep large landholdings But forgive debts, ban debt slavery

Removed family restrictions against participating in public life

Instituted paid civil service


Pericles

Ruled 461-429 BCE High point of Athenian democracy Aristocratic but popular Massive public works Encouraged cultural development


Greek Colonization

Population expansion drives colonization Coastal Mediterranean, Black sea

Sicily (Naples: “nea polis,” new city) Southern France (Massalia: Marseilles) Anatolia Southern Ukraine


Classical Greece and the Mediterranean basin, 800-500 B.C.E.


Effects of Greek Colonization

Trade throughout region Communication of ideas

Language, culture Political and social effects


Persian Wars (500-479 BCE)

Revolt against Persian Empire 500 BCE in Ionia

Athens supports with ships Yet Greek rebellion crushed by Darius 493

BCE; routed in 490 Successor Xerxes burns Athens, but driven

out as well


The Delian League

Poleis create Delian League to forestall more Persian attacks

Led by Athens Massive payments to Athens fuels Periclean

expansion Resented by other poleis


The Peloponnesian War

Civil war in Greece, 431-404 BCE Poleis allied with either Athens or Sparta Athens forced to surrender But conflict continued between Sparta and

other poleis


Kingdom of Macedon

Frontier region to north of Peloponnesus King Philip II (r. 359-336 BCE) builds massive

military 350 BCE encroaches on Greek poleis to the

south, controls region by 338 BCE


Alexander of Macedon

“the Great,” son of Philip II Rapid expansion throughout Mediterranean

basin Invasion of Persia successful Turned back in India when exhausted troops

mutinied


Alexander's empire, ca. 323 B.C.E.


The Hellenistic Empires

After Alexander’s death, competition for empire

Divided by generals Antigonus: Greece and

Macedon Ptolemy: Egypt Seleucus: Persian

Achaemenid Empire Economic integration,

Intellectual cross-fertilization


The Antigonid Empire

Smallest of Hellenistic Empires Local dissent Issue of land distribution

Heavy colonizing activity


The Ptolemaic Empire

Wealthiest of the Hellenistic empires Established state monopolies

Textiles Salt Beer

Capital: Alexandria Important port city Major museum, library


The Seleucid Empire

Massive colonization of Greeks Export of Greek culture, values as far east as

India Bactria Ashoka legislates in Greek and Aramaic


Trade and Integration of the Mediterranean Basin Greece: little grain, but rich in olives and

grapes Colonies further trade Commerce rather than agriculture as basis of

much of economy


Panhellenic Festivals

Useful for integrating far-flung colonies Olympic Games begin 776 BCE Sense of collective identity


Patriarchal Society

Women as goddesses, wives, prostitutes Limited exposure in public sphere Sparta partial exception Sappho Role of infanticide in Greek society and

culture


Slavery

Scythians (Ukraine) Nubians (Africa) Chattel Sometimes used in business Opportunity to buy freedom


The Greek Language

Borrowed Phoenician alphabet Added vowels Complex language

“middle” voice Allowed for communication of abstract ideas

Philosophy


Socrates (470-399 BCE)

The Socratic Method Student: Plato Public gadfly, condemned on charges of

immorality Forced to drink hemlock


Plato (430-347 BCE)

Systematized Socratic thought The Republic

Parable of the Cave Theory of Forms/Ideas


Aristotle (389-322 BCE)

Student of Plato Broke with Theory of Forms/Ideas Emphasis on empirical findings, reason Massive impact on western thought


Greek Theology

Polytheism Zeus principal god Religious cults

Eleusinian mysteries The Bacchae Rituals eventually domesticated


Tragic Drama

Evolution from public presentations of cultic rituals

Major playwrights (5th c. BCE) Aeschylus Sophocles Euripides

Comedy: Aristophanes


Hellenistic Philosophies

Epicureans Pleasure, distinct from Hedonists

Skeptics Doubted possibility of certainty in anything

Stoics Duty, virtue Emphasis on inner peace

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